Chahar gulzar-i Shujaʿi 13: Mr. Hastings, Governor General, imprisoned and sent home by orders of the King of England.

13

Mr. Hastings, who some years previously had been appointed by the King of England as Governor of Bengal, Maksudabad, and 'Azimabad Patna, revolted from his obedience, and paid no attention to the King's orders, declaring that he was a servant of the Kings of India. The King of England sent another governor to Calcutta in his place; and when he arrived in Calcutta, and went to visit Mr. Hastings, that gentleman killed him by the power of his sorceries.
After this, the King of England despatched another officer to fill the place of Mr. Hastings at Calcutta; but that gentleman declined to resign charge of the government. At last they determined on fighting a duel, with the understanding that the victor should assume the office of Governor. A day was fixed, and on that day they fought a duel. Mr. Hastings escaped, but wounded his antagonist in the arm with a pistol-ball, who was consequently obliged to return to England.
The King of England then contrived a plot, and sent to Calcutta about four hundred European soldiers, in a vessel under the command of Mr. Macpherson, with a letter to Mr. Hastings, to the effect that, as in these days he had many battles to fight, Mr. Macpherson had been despatched with these soldiers to reinforce him, and to render service to him whenever exigency might require it. Secret instructions were given to Mr. Macpherson and the soldiers to seize Mr. Hastings and forward him to His Majesty's presence. When the ship reached near Calcutta, Mr. Macpherson sent the Royal letter to Mr. Hastings, and saluted him with the fire of guns of the ship. Mr. Hastings, having read the letter, embarked in a boat, and, in company of the other English officers who were with him in Calcutta, proceeded to welcome Mr. Macpherson. On his approaching the vessel, Mr. Macpherson paid a salute, and with a double guard of the European soldiers, went from the ship into Mr. Hastings's boat. Immediately on boarding the boat, he ordered the soldiers to surround Mr. Hastings, and having thus made him a prisoner, showed him the orders for his own appointment as Governor, and the warrant which His Majesty had given for the apprehension of Mr. Hastings, who saw no remedy but to surrender himself a prisoner. Mr. Macpherson sent him to England in a ship under the custody of the European guard which had come out for that purpose.